Mother 1915

Kuzma Petrov-Vodkin painted this artwork entitled ‘Mother’ and it measures 65 by 104 centimeters. I just love how the scene feels kind of suspended, timeless, you know? The soft blues and reds, they're not just colors; they set a mood. You can almost feel the artist figuring things out as he goes. I imagine Petrov-Vodkin thinking about the Madonna, but also wanting to paint Russian workers. The mother’s gaze is steady, serene almost, while the child is soft pink against the red of her skirt. It strikes me how the artist would have built up the layers, adjusting each shape, each shade to find that perfect balance, that rightness of form. These choices aren't arbitrary but deeply felt; it's like he's in a conversation with the paint, figuring things out in real-time. And in a way, aren't we all doing that too?